Villa Heading In The Right Direction

Merry Christmas all. I`ve been reading this forum for years but this is the first time I`ve posted. Long post alert!

I`m sure you`ll all agree it`s been a painful few days after the Chelsea result and understandably alot of Villans are concerned. I`d just like to offer my own take on things.

We`ve all seen a steady decline these past few years. The reasons for this, MON`s spendthrift transfer policy followed by sudden spending cutbacks, poor managerial appointments etc have all been done to death and there`s no doubt that Randy must take his fair share of the blame. Most of us agree that the wage level had to be brought under control, however, the worry now is that we have a threadbare squad with regard to experience.

Are the young players bought from the lower leagues good enough to maintain our uninterrupted presence since the inception of the premier league? The truth is I don`t know, nor does anyone else really. We all hope they are. Is our squad inexperienced though? I don`t think so really, more a case that the experience we have has a poor attitude.

Some are calling for the return to the side of the experienced players already in the squad. Understandable, given our inconsistent displays and tendency to collapse in games where things are going against us. Personally I feel this would be a backward step. While the quality of the players can possibly be questioned their endeavour cannot. This, to me, is already an improvement on the previous years where we have seen players who couldn't`t care less about the club let us down time and time again.

I`ve seen improvement throughout the season so far but will it be enough? Hopefully. However for the first time in three years I actually like the villa players. I`m desperate for them to make the step up and prove all of our doubts and concerns to be unfounded.

Relegation is a real worry at this time but I`d rather take that risk than ever have to see the likes of Dunne, Warnock, etc ever wear a villa shirt again. We`ve embarked on a new course and while it`s undoubtedly risky I`m excited by it. If we can ensure safety this season and get rid of the experienced, but useless, deadwood by the summer we`ll be in a much better position to move forward.

Not all the new players or academy lads will make it but at least these won`t be on contracts that make them impossible to shift. Some believe that Randy has lost interest. To be honest I don`t. I believe that with the wage bill now at a sustainable level any wages saved on the aforementioned deadwood will be re-invested in a more sensible manner.

Finally I firmly believe that Paul Lambert is exactly the man we need. Some say that it was a mistake to sign so many inexperienced players and the money should have been spent on two or three proven players. The problem I have with this is all of our current deadwood were proven. We have a young, ambitious manager and, yes, he has made mistakes and will undoubtedly make more in the future, but we must remember that he is still learning as well.

It`s going to be a bumpy ride this year but the potential rewards are just as great as the dangers. Let`s just see what happens in January and get behind these young lads for the rest of the season. Keep the faith fellow Villans. UTV

Your Comments (oldest first)

Lambert is a very good manager and is working with one or both hands tied firmly behind his back by a lack of funds and a struggle to get your remaining big earners off the payroll. that could mean you have a struggle for some time unless you take some pretty painful short term action. If the fans back the players and the manager, you have half a chance. these kids are pretty good but are going to need time and clever management or it could still end in tears. will these kids last a full season? can you get rid of deadwood and bring in a few senior players that will be hungry to play for you? etc

Being a young man myself and possibly as naive as the current Villa players I have no worries about going down... I think what we currently have is enough to keep us up 2 or 3 signings in January will give us enough of a kick to steer ourselves out of danger and into a reasonable mid table position... It will be incredibly interesting next summer should we make the Europa League and how will the squad go from there...

Second half couldn't have been as bad but we've just needlessly passed the ball to them 3 times for their second goal. You'd think that passing would be a mainstay of training or is it that our players just aren't any good??

What a load of crap from Lambert and these rubbish players, they do not have a clue, it's so shameful to see our team being led by and American who is never here , a manager who is unproven in the premier league other than keeping Norwich up due to lots of other crap sides in the division, I've had enough of this rubbish, complete negativity from Lambert it's so disappointing , we will survive because there are3 teams worse than us, but that's the only reason going by this performance

I actually think you looked better than the game last season (where you nicked a 1-1 draw) Not sure what sacking Lambert would achieve however, not sure what Mourinho would achieve with that set of players.

Can't blame lambert personally. He can't turn water into wine and our team is so far behind 17 teams in the prem. seriously, only Reading, norwich and Southampton are worse ( Sunderland possibly. ) randy turned up with so much promise....

Well said Henry, Lerner is the negative drain on this club with his cost cutting and poor decisions over the last three years selling our best players when we should have been looking to improve, LERNER SELL UP!

Something NI Villan said just struck me and shows me where top management seem to have gone off half cocked.
"We have a young, ambitious manager and, yes, he has made mistakes and will undoubtedly make more in the future, but we must remember that he is still learning as well"
We.... are Aston Villa, founder members of the football league and winners of the European Cup. Is this what we have sunk to?
The team that went down to the third division in the seventies would beat this lot.

the 16% who vote for Ireland as MofM, please can l have your rose coloured glasses. As for Clark, yes undoubted talent, but Villa Captain ? Leadership in the leaky defence is required, Clark error on error during the dismal display, maybe the answer is Guzan who surveys the shambles before him and may be the one to wear the arm band ? The young players have talent and a great future, but only if the appointed captain gets to grips with the errors - namely loosing the opposing attacking players in and around our 18 yd box. leadership was missing in both Chelsea and last nights defeats. Leadership is the way out of this mess - unfortunately as good as a player Clark is; he is not the answer at the moment.

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